“We got a little sloppy there at the end when our backups were in and we couldn’t save the shutout,” Teter said. “It was different last year when our running game was basically all about Blake, and now it’s obviously running back-by-committee.”

The rushing committee is large for the time being, as 13 players carried the ball for Sequoyah. Jake Garner led the Chiefs with 139 yards on 10 carries, with a touchdown in the third quarter.

The game’s scoring was opened when sophomore Trey Mitchell crashed into the end zone from 3 yards out, giving Sequoyah a 7-0 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter.

Patterson worked his magic in the second period, scoring three times in just over 7 minutes — on runs of 3 and 65 yards — and a reception of 11 yards from quarterback Lex Lauletta.

Lauletta carried the ball for 97 yards in the contest and added 31 yards passing.

Sequoyah started the second half aggressively, passing the ball several times on their first possession of the third quarter.

“We felt, at halftime, that we needed to throw a little bit, and we needed to get some things on film,” Teter said. “We’re a run team. We make no bones about it, but eventually we’re going to have to throw the ball some.”

Sam Rogers, Stephen Anderson, and Vinnie Dodenhoff added touchdowns in the second half for the Chiefs, while River Ridge backup quarterback Marcus Spears connected with Michael Lewis to spoil the shutout with 1:41 remaining in the game.

“We need to go back and watch film and see where our mistakes are,” River Ridge coach Robert Braucht said. “Hopefully, we get those corrected before we play the games that really matter.”

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